My daughters have a lot of hair. When we are out and about people always stop to comment on their hair. Often those same people will ask me how I deal with hair tangles or just give me tips on what works for them. A typical comment will be: "Your daughters have beautiful hair. Do you have problems with tangled hair? I found a great product..." I had gotten pretty desperate in this department so I would usually run out and buy whatever was suggested.

I counted 7 items under our sink that I bought in the hopes of solving our hair tangling problem. I only use a few on these on a daily basis and the rest collect dust. Some of these products might work great for you but we did not have success with all of them. So here is my guide to getting rid of tangled hair for good.

Below are my main go-to hair detanglers (Original Sprout Miracle Dentangler, Zerran Equilizer Leave in Conditioner, Suave Kids Detangler and a Goody Ouchless Cushion Brush). Read on to find out what will work for you.

The Zerran Equalizer Conditioner (large green bottle above) is my first line of defense. It is a leave in conditioner and detangler that I use in my girls' hair before they get out of the bath. A woman at the gym told me about this when she saw me with my girls. She said that she also put some in her daughter's dry hair each day to help more with tangles. I tried that and just felt like the hair was getting weighed down with too much product. So I just use it after I wash their hair. What a difference it makes! We had just been using normal conditioner that you wash out, but it didn't make a difference. Zerran Equalizer can be pricey, but it lasts a long time. You don't need a lot at all.

In my experience, certain hair types are more prone to serious tangles. I happen to have girls who all have different hair types.

Thick & Straight

My youngest has thick, straight hair which tends to resist much tangling. She does get a few small tangles each morning so I use Suave Detangler Spray for Kids which you can find at any super market or drug store for under $3. This or the homemade detangler I will mention later and a good brush are all you really need to tame those tangles. Lucky you!

Thick & Curly

This kind of hair looks overwhelming but if properly managed, it can be easy to maintain. I use the same super market or homemade dentangler and it works fine. If you still have had a hard time with your child's curly hair, follow my advice for Fine and Wavy hair.

Fine & Wavy

In my experience, this is the type of hair that tangles most. Surprised? I was. It used to seem that even after I just combed it, my daughter could shake her head and it would be all tangled again. It was like it had a mind of it's own. I was at my wits end and spending tons of time each morning brushing through this kind of hair.

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I now use the Original Sprout Miracle Detangler (thanks Julie for the recommendation!) for the tough tangles. At around $20, it is pricier than what you'd buy at the supermarket, but it really gets the tangles out. When I first got it I was skeptical because of the price, so I tried the cheaper hair detangler on my daughter and when I still couldn't get out certain hair tangles, I sprayed the Miracle Dentangler on it. The brush slid right through the tangles. Amazing! I've been using it daily on my daughter with fine and wavy hair since January 1st, and we haven't even used 1/4 of the bottle. A little goes a long way so don't let the price deter you.

My daughter's hair before the Miracle Detangler. No brush is getting through there!

When you spray on the Miracle Detangler, it comes out gloppy. It will look like you sneezed on your kid. This is normal. Rub it into the hair with your fingers.

Brush through with your Goody Ouchless brush and check out the results. Is she ready for a shampoo commercial or what?

Of course, if your child doesn't have very bad knots in their hair you can always make your own hair detangler which should get the job done. Get a spray bottle (you can find one for $1 at the dollar store or Target) and add 2 tablespoons of your favorite conditioner.

After you have added the conditioner, fill up the rest of the bottle with warm water and shake it up until the conditioner is totally mixed with the water. That's all it takes. I make sure to shake mine up before each use.

No matter what detangler you use you will need the right brush and the right brushing technique to effectively remove tangles and make the experience painless for your child. I was using a normal plastic brush on my kids hair for the longest time until someone at the grocery store of all places, recommended I try the Goody Ouchless Cushion Styling Hair Brush. You have to like a brush that has "ouchless" in it's name. The brush doesn't pull or snarl hair like others I have tried.

Okay, so you chose you detangler and brush but you still need to brush your child's hair the right way. My kids never complain or fuss when I brush their hair and I believe it's because of my pain free brushing technique. You want to grab a section of your child's hair and hold it tightly in your hand. Make sure to hold the hair close to the scalp. Then you can brush the remainder of the hair without hurting them if you come across a tangle.

My final tip is to brush your child's hair every night before they go to bed. This is really a must if your child suffers from tough tangles. The hair will tangle a bit while they sleep, but it will be much harder to comb through in the morning if you don't comb it the night before.

49 comments:

What an interesting post! I remember brushing my daughter's long, curly hair, always starting from the very bottom, brushing that out, then moving up a couple inches. Often I would braid it before she went to bed to avoid tangles in the morning. :-) Your daughters have beautiful hair.

I LOVE Original Sprout Miracle Detangler! My stylist said to mix it with one part detangler and 3 parts water in a separate spray bottle. Now a bottle of Original Sprout will last about 9-12 months with two daughters with very long hair.

this is great! thank you!! my daughter saw the infomercial for the mercier hairbrush or something and whenever i brush her hair she screams, "did you order the brush from tv yet????" i think i'm going to start with the goody ouchless!!! :)

I'm a grown-up with *fine and wavy* hair, and I can totally relate to your fine-and-wavy daughter's tangle troubles. :) Let her know that it will get easier as she gets older and gets used to how her hair works and the best ways to tackle it!

I've tried everything, and here's the method that works best for me: 1. Right before a shower, use a brush to detangle. (Note: A shower is always better than a bath for tangly hair, because the water flows down over the natural curve of the hair, instead of swishing it all around like a bath or under the bath faucet.) 2. Shampoo and condition as usual - rinse. 3. Squeeze hair gently with a towel to remove excess water, but DON'T towel-dry too much, and don't rub the head with the towel. Rubbing = more tangles! 4. Spray on your detangler of choice. :) 5. Comb through with a medium-tooth comb (not a brush), starting at the ends and moving up towards the scalp. 6. After hair is combed through, you can towel-dry more thoroughly and comb again. 7. For dry hair, brush as usual and use a little detangler if needed.

Ooops, I almost forgot! Another reason I LOVE that brush is because the flexible bristles don't break the hair like a stiff comb. I see a lot of wavey haired women with comb damage! (Combs create micro-breaks where as flexible bristles may stretch wet hair a bit, but the moisture will help the cuticle heal)And amen for telling women not to rub their hair dry! Blotting is just as effective, doesn't tangle the hair AND doesn't cause damage that leads to FRIZZ!!!!Thanks for your post!!! (Your girls have beautiful hair, thanks for being such

Another tip: Have the kids sleep on a satin or silk pillow case. My eldest daughter has fine curly and my baby girl has fine wavy hair. I have them both on a satin pillow case (baby sleeps on it without a pillow) and it has made a big difference in the number of tangles.

Try a boar bristle brush. They have some at Target that are pretty reasonable. My oldest has lots of fine hair and it was looking sort of frizzy and was hard to comb through. My stylist uses the same brush on her daughter who has thick wavy hair. We are Original Sprout users...have been using the shampoo and leave-in since my oldest was about 1.

Heading out to buy that brush and either a spray bottle to make my own or maybe just go straight for the Miracle product. Thank you! I was getting ready to cut my daughter's beautifully long hair but I think this may just be the better solution.

And while I'm at the store, I'm grabbing a Satin pillowcase per Grace's recommendation!

Great tips! We have the fine hair here in our house and it is just as you say. Brush it, move and it is tangled again. I will have to try that product. I have a new link party I would love for you to share this at: http://www.realcoake.blogspot.com/2013/02/real-family-fun-1.htmlThanks,KC

Thanks for sharing! My youngest daughter has fine and wavy hair and I agree it tangles SO MUCH and SO EASILY!! It's crazy! After conditioner & detangling spray I will take my time trying to be as gentle as possible getting the tangles out, but there are still many "ouch!"s and even a few lit'l tears involved in this routine. :( This post was helpful! ;) From one mama to another, THANK YOU!! <3

Great post. I've got fine and wavy hair and so does my son. A couple of months ago, I cut his hair myself to get rid of the tangles. My hair still tangles all the time. We've been using Redkin Anti-snap (leave-in) on wet hair and the Suave detangler on dry hair. I only brush his hair when it's wet with a comb. When it's dry (and sprayed) I use a boar bristle brush, so it will lie flat. I'm going to re-read your post right now for MY benefit.

I have extremely tangly, thick, wavy hair. You should try the tangle teaser hair brush. I got it on amazon for 10 bucks. I thought it would be a gimmick but it really does work on wet or dry hair. It makes my hair feel silky and it only takes me a few seconds to brush my hair now!

What a great resource for parents! I had long hair for years and years as a child. It took a long time to find products that worked for me. I'm glad that you addresses proper brushes in this post because that is such an important component. Personally I like Paul Mitchell's Detangler Conditioner better than any other conditioner or detangler I've ever tried. It's a little pricy, but a big bottle will last you a long time.

Thank you for this post. My little one is always getting her hair in knots. And this will be able to help me get the knots out for cheap.If I have luck like my mom I might end up with a thick and straight, thin and wavy, and Super Thick and Super Curly.

Thanks so much for your tips. I will try making some of my own entangler, and put Zerran Equalizer on my shopping list. Thanks much for all your tips. Your girls look adorable. Looks like they cooperate very well with the pictures!

Thanks for this post. I am an adult who never had long hair but have now grown it to waist length and it is in the fine & wavy category and some tangles have been so bad I have even cut a few out and thought about cutting my hair short again, but I will give the product you suggested a try:)I

My daughter's hair is fine and wavy and we argue on a daily basis about brushing, pulling it back into braids (to avoid tangles) and cutting it shorter. Thanks so much for the tips. I think it's time to try some products, I'd love to have stress free combing sessions like you do with your girls.

Great idea! My daughter has VERY tangly hair. I usually put a dime size blob of Suave coconut conditioner (same one you have pictured) in my hand and spread it evenly over her hair when it's wet, and that works great. Spray bottle is a nice idea though, probably makes for better and more even coverage.~jeannine

This is awesome! Although I don't have girls, I babysat a ton and also had tons of tangles myself! Such a great idea Vicky! You are a Featured Favorite this week on Saturday Show & Tell on Cheerios and Lattes! Thanks for sharing with us last week, we can't wait to see what you've been up to this week! Have a great weekend! Mackenzie :)

Great ideas! over here in the uk we have brushes called Tangle Teezers and they are AMAZING! i even use one now. I am off to make my own detangler spray for tonight's battle of the spider knots!!!!http://tangleteezer.com/

Hi, I thought I'd share a discovery with you. I have shoulder length, thick, straight hair and it can also get very tangled. I recently, as in last week, found a solution that is working wonderfully for me and costs next to nothing. It is a mixture of baking soda and water for shampoo and vinegar and water for conditioner. I'm not an all natural person, I used bottled chemicals and eat junk food but this idea intrigued me and since I had the items in the house I figured, why not? I got it all from http://frugalgirlglamour.blogspot.com/2012/10/going-no-poo.html My hair is much less tangled when I get out of the shower and it seems to already be less frizzy and more shiny. Good luck to you and your girls

I have very thick/heavy hair and it is a nightmare to work with when wet. I use Shielo's Leave In Protectant which is the best detangler and leave in conditioner I have ever used. It makes it easy to comb through my hair when wet and leaves my hair silky after drying. Other leave in conditioners I have used have required a generous amount to work and then leave my hair flaky. The Shielo Leave In is light, so it doesn't weigh down your hair and you don't have to worry about having to use so much that it dries on your hair and flakes off. It is also a great heat protectant to use before straightening your hair.

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Hi, I'm Vicky, founder and content creator at Mess For Less. If you are looking for play and learning activities for kids, kid friendly food, parenting tips and general family fun, you will find it at Mess For Less. I invite you to learn more about me or drop me a note. Thanks for stopping by!